Science-minded students were invited to attend a special one-off lecture at the University of Hull this week, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the breakthrough of LCD technology.
Two different lectures were held for separate age groups. Y6, 7 & 8 attended a lecture called ‘When the monkey met the iPad’ and used the help of Nim the motion-capture monkey – portrayed by Emma-Jane Alexander from the department of Computer Science – to explain how Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technology works and how our smart devices interact with us.
Interactive activities and audience participation helped the youngsters – who had been nominated for the trip by their teachers for outstanding work in science, maths and technology – to understand how liquid crystals create images when heated and how your smart phone or tablet knows when you are moving it or have touched it.
Y10 & 11 students saw a version called ‘From butterflies to iPads’, which was a more in-depth version of the lecture aimed at GCSE students.
Professor Steve Kelly, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Hull, explained to attendees how in the early 1970’s,University of Hull lecturer Professor George Gray published a paper about a new type of liquid crystal which could be stabilised at room temperature for the first time – leading to it being used in the displays of watches, calculators and thermometers, and eventually to TVs, phones and tablet computers.
Dr Mark Lorch provided the visual explanations of the chemistry behind the technology by inviting students on stage to help demonstrate how it all works using household objects.
Mrs Lawrence, Head of Science, commented , “It’s important that our students realise how much of an integral part our university has played in the creation of this vital technology. This trip also gives them a great experience of what university lectures are like for their future education.”